Modulated alarm clock



June 4, 1935. D. s. INGRAHAM MODULATED ALARM CLOCK Filed April 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jime 4, 1935, D, ,NGRAHAM 2,003,785

MODULATED ALARM CLOCK Filed April 18, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 4, 1935 PATENT OFFICE MODULATED ALARM CLOCK Dudley S. Ingraham,

The E. Ingraham corporation Bristol, Conn, assignor to Company, Bristol, Gonn., a

Application April 18, 1934, Serial No. 721,145

12 Claims.

This invention relates to time instruments and more particularly to time instruments known as alarm clocks.

One object of this invention is to provide an 6 improved alarm clock having means whereby the alarm may be adjusted to give different degrees or loudness in accordance with the sensitivity of wishes of the person using the c1ock.

Another object of this invention is to provide 10 an improved alarm clock in which improved mechanism is provided for causing the loudness of the alarm to be varied automatically during an alarm-sounding period.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved alarm clock in which the loudness of the alarm is automatically varied in a plurality of repeated cycles during a single alarmsounding period.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention includes all improvements over the prior art which are disclosed in this application.

In the accompanying drawings in which certain Ways of carrying out the invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. l is a rear elevation, on reduced scale, of an alarm clock illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation similar to Fig. 1, with part of the rear portion of the casing broken away;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the movable sound-modulating plate shown in a difierent position;

Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of the movable sound-modulating plate for closing and opening the sound-opening in the rear of the casing;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation, with part of the rear portion of the casing broken away, of a modified form of sound-modulating mechanism;

Fig. '7 is a horizontal sectional view on line 1-1 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a rear perspective view of the modified form of the movable sound-modulating plate shown in Fig. 6, for closing and opening the sound-opening in the casing.

In the description and claims, the various parts are identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the prior art will permit.

Referring to the drawings, Ill indicates an alarm clock having a casing ll mounted on a base l2, the rear of the casing ll being provided with a plurality of openings l3 forming a grating or sound-openings. I4 is a clock movement to which the bell or alarm-sounding member I5 is connected in supporting relation as shown.

The sound-modulating plate l5 (Fig. 5) has a I 5 plurality of openings ll of suitable size and spacing to permit of their being placed in register with the openings l3 in the rear of the casing I I, or to be shifted to a non-registering position to bring the intermediate metal portions 10 [8 into register with the openings l3 to close the latter.

The plate i5 is provided with a central opening I9 adapted for pivotal engagement on the center-arbor it, the clearance-openings 2| being provided to permit the plate to clear various parts of the clock movement when the plate is oscillated in one or the other directions when in use. The resilient pressed-in portions 22 rest upon the rear movement-plate 23 and aid in providing a smooth movement to the plate Hi When it is oscillated in one direction or the other to open or close the sound-openings l3 in the rear of the casing. The upper portion of the plate is provided with a pin 24 fixed thereto and extending rearwardly through the slot 25 in the rear of the casing so as to provide manual means to be engaged to oscillate the plate I 6. The ends of the slot 25 may serve to limit the oscillating movements of the pin 24 and plate I6.

Secured to the lower left inside face of the plate I6 is a yieldable sound-damping springarm or finger 26 which, when the plate I6 is oscillated about its pivot it! in an anti-clockwise direction, causes the metal portions IE to register with and close, or partly close, openings 13, depending on the amount of the movement given to the plate l6, and also causes the yielding finger 26 to engage against the bell or soundingmember IE to modulate or decrease the loudness of the sound produced by the bell.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the coil-spring 21 illustrates the usual coil-spring for actuating the striking-member 28 to cause the latter to repeatedly oscillate about its pivot 29 to strike the bell IS, in a well-known manner.

In this form of the invention, instead of employing a manually-oscillatable plate IS, a modified form of sound-modulating plate 30 is provided which has clearance-openings 2 I, a springfinger 26, openings ll, metal portions 18 and a central pivot opening l9, all similar to corresponding parts on the plate I6.

Instead of providing for manual actuation of the plate 36, however, a pin 3! is extended inward in an opposite direction from the pin E l oi the plate 56, so as to be engaged by the surface of a cam 32 mounted on an arbor 33 coaxially with the driven wheel 36 of a Geneva movement, having slots 35 adapted to be engaged and driven by a pin 36 carried by the driving-wheel .3? of the Geneva movement mounted on the arbor 38 coaxially with the spring 2?. A spring 39 is secured to the rear movement-plate 23 and presses against the arm M! of the plate (iii, to normally maintain the pin 3! in engagement with the cam32.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, if it is desired to have the alarm produce its maximum degree of sound, the pin 2:3 is pushed to its limit in a clockwise direction to align the openings H and i3, andto cause the spring-finger 25 tobe out of contact with the bell l5, whereupon the alarm clock will function to produce a maximum degree of sound.

Where, however, one desires to reduce or modulate this sound, this can be accomplished in one of a number of desirable degrees by pushing the pin Ed in a counter-clockwise direction to either partly or wholly disalign the openings I! and I3, and to lightly or heavily press the spring-finger 26 against the bell IE to modulate or reduce the sound produced by the bell, as may be desired by the person using the same. The resilient pressed-in portions 22, by engagement against the rear movement-plate 25, produce friction therewith and also press the plate l6 into frictional contact with the rear of the casing II, thus providing ample friction to re tain the plate IS in any desired adjusted position.

In the form of the invention illustrated in 'Figs. 6 to 8, instead of the modulation of the degree of sound being accomplished manually, it is accomplished automatically. In the particular form of the invention illustrated, this automatic modulation is brought about by means of the spring 21 acting through the Geneva movement previously described, to cause the cam 32 to push the pin '3! against the action of the spring 39, to cause the openings Hand i3 "to gradually become aligned. When the maX imum height of the cam 32 starts to recede from the pin 3!, the spring 39 pushes the arm Mi counterclockwise to cause the openings I! to gradually move to disalignment with the openings is. The spring 21 and the parts which take part in oscillating the pin 3! can be so designed as to cause the pin 3i and plate 39 to oscillate in a plurality of cycles during a single unwinding of the springZ'l.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth with out departing from the spirit and essential char: acteristics' of the invention, and the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming Within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. An alarm clock including:

a casing; an

alarm-sounding member in the casing; the casing having a sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; and

movable means mounted to move in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the sound- 3. An alarm clock including: a casing; an 7 alarm-sounding member in the casing; the casing havinga sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; movable means for closing or opening saidsoundopening; and a sound-damping member actuated to engage said sounding-member when said movable means is moved to close said soundopening.

4. An' alarm clock including: a casing; an alarm-sounding member in the casing; the casing having a sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; movable means for closing or opening said soundopening; and a sound-damping member carried by said movable means to engage said soundingmember whensaid movable means is moved to close said sound-opening. e

5. An alarm clock including: a casing; an alarm-sounding member in the casing; the easing having a sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; movable means for closing or opening said soundopening; and a yieldable sound-damping member carried by said movable means to engage said sounding-member when said movable means is moved to close said sound-opening.

6. An alarm clock including: a casing; an

alarm-sounding member in the casing; a strikengagement with said alarm-sounding member.

8. An alarm clock including: 'a casing; an alarm-sounding member in the casing; a striking-member for striking the sounding-member; spring-windable motive means for actuating the striking-member; and a sound-damping member actuated by said motive means to cause said 7 sound-damping member to move in a cycle repeated a plurality of timesduring a single unwinding of said spring, to and'away from damping engagement with said alarm-sounding member.

9. An alarm clock including: a casing; an alarm-sounding member in the casing; the casing having a sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; 'a striking-member for striking the soundingmember; motive means for actuating the striking-member; and movable means mounted to movein a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the sound-opening and actuated by said motive means to cause said movable means to close and open said sound-opening.

10. An alarm clock including: a casing; an alarm-sounding member in the casing; the easing having a sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; a striking-member for striking the soundingmember; spring-windable motive means for actuating the striking-member; and movable means actuated by said motive means to cause said movable means to close and open said sound-opening in a cycle repeated a plurality of times during a single unwinding of said spring.

11. An alarm clock including: a casing; an alarm-sounding member in the casing; the casing having a sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; a striking-member for striking the soundingmember; motive means for actuating the striking-member; and movable means and sounddamping means both actuated by said motive means to cause said movable means to close and open said sound-opening, and cause said sound-damping means to move to and from sound-damping engagement with said alarmsounding member.

12. An alarm clock including: a casing; an alarm-sounding member in the casing; the easing having a sound-opening for transmitting sound from the alarm-sounding member; a striking-member for striking the soundingmember; spring-windable motive means for actuating the striking-member; and movable means and sound-damping means both actuated by said motive means in a cycle repeated a plurality of times during a single unwinding of said spring to cause said movable means to close and open said sound-opening, and cause said sound-damping means to move to and from sound-damping engagement with said alarmsounding member.

DUDLEY S. INGRAHAM. 

